Solo Practice University® » What’s New?

Audio: What’s New in Bankruptcy Law with Daniel Gershburg

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:30:30 +0000

Daniel Gershburg is a bankruptcy and real estate lawyer practicing in New York. He will teach a course about bankruptcy law at Solo Practice University®.

SPU's newest faculty member and I discussed the changes in the bankruptcy laws and how they will be affecting your clients and your practice. If you haven't met Daniel Gershburg yet, now is the time. He is an excellent example of a lawyer who hung a shingle right out of law school, did it well, and five years later continues to grow it well in one of the most lawyer-saturated markets in this country. How? By being extremely client-focused while being business savvy. They are not mutually exclusive!! Join us.

The audio is about 57 minutes. Listen or download directly below.
What’s New in Bankruptcy Law with Daniel Gershburg

Daniel Gershburg took a different road when graduating from law school. While he was a member of the Law Review and the Harlan Scholars program, Mr. Gershburg passed up the opportunity to work at large law firms and instead decided to establish his own practice, with the hope of changing the way solo and small firm practice attorneys are viewed. His practice deals specifically with Bankruptcy and Real Estate Law. Mr. Gershburg has spoken to classes at New York Law School, has been published in New York State Bar Association newsletters, serves on the New York State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee and is a desired CLE presenter. He frequently speaks at community functions in his Brooklyn neighborhood educating members of the community about Bankruptcy as well as financial advocacy. He is also the newest blogger at Patch.com (AOL HuffingtonPost) on Park Slope legal affairs. Mr. Gershburg also spends a considerable amount of pro bono time volunteering at the Brooklyn Bar Assocation Volunteer Lawyers Project, assisting low income individuals to file for Bankruptcy.

You can connect with Daniel on Twitter and subscribe to his blog.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Audio: What’s New in Special Education Law with Jennifer Laviano

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:30:40 +0000

Attorney Jennifer Laviano is in private practice in Connecticut. She teaches a course entitled "Introduction to Special Education Law" at Solo Practice University®.

Jennifer and I had an animated discussion about the good, the bad, and the ugly of special education law and she identified two trends.

The bad: Learn about how the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA (which included a provision for school districts to recover fees from the parents and attorneys by incorporating Rule 11 sanctions) is now being used by the courts with increasing frequency.

The good: The Supreme Court in particular, and the federal courts in general, seem to be really erring on the side of protecting people from retaliation for exercising their rights, which we see far too much of in Special Education Law. Learn about the recent US Supreme Court decision,which has held that anti-retaliation protection under Title VII should be "construed to cover a broad range of employer conduct" and how, if at all, it impacts special education litigation and anti-retaliation provisions?

The interview is about 38 minutes. Listen or download directly below.
What’s New in Special Education Law with Jennifer Laviano

Jennifer holds an undergraduate degree in English Literature from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, and she earned her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, Connecticut.

Jennifer has dedicated her law practice entirely to the representation of children and adolescents with disabilities whose families are in disagreement with their public school districts. Her representation of children with special needs encompasses the full spectrum of advocacy under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), from attendance at IEP Team meetings and Mediation, to zealous and experienced litigation in Due Process Hearings and Federal Court.

Jennifer is a regular presenter, both locally and nationally, on the subject of the special legal rights of children with disabilities and their entitlement to receive a Free and Appropriate Education. She also serves on the Board of Directors of COPAA, the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, which is the leading national voice on special education rights and advocacy. Jennifer is also the co-host of the weekly radio show “Your Special Education Rights with Jen and Julie” on Autism One Radio.

Jennifer represents children with special needs throughout the State of Connecticut.

To learn more, visit Jennifer's website and read her Special Ed Justice blog.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Audio: What’s New in Value Pricing with Ronald Baker

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 31 May 2011 11:30:54 +0000

Ronald J. Baker is an author and speaker with the mission, "To, once and for all, bury the billable hour and timesheets in the professions." He teaches a course called "Value Pricing for the Legal Profession" at Solo Practice University®.

Talking with Ron is like getting a masters class in economics. With more than eight hours of graduate level classes inside SPU already, we wanted to catch up with Ron and learn more about his 'radical new pricing model'. In this teleseminar we discuss 'value pricing' versus 'value billing' , the eight-step process to implementing value pricing and why knowledge workers such as lawyers are unworthy of the billable hour model. As always, another master class! Join us.

The audio is about 58 minutes. Listen or download directly below.
What's New in Value Pricing with Ronald Baker

Ronald J. Baker started his accounting career in 1984 with KPMG Peat Marwick’s Private Business Advisory Services in San Francisco. Today, he is the founder of VeraSage Institute, a think tank dedicated to teaching Value Pricing to professionals around the world.

He is the author of five best-selling books, including: The Firm of the Future: A Guide for Accountants, Lawyers, and Other Professional Services; Pricing on Purpose: Creating and Capturing Value; Measure What Matters to Customers: Using Key Predictive Indicators; and Mind Over Matter: Why Intellectual Capital is the Chief Source of Wealth.

His newest book, Implementing Value Pricing, declares the customer as the sole and ultimate arbiter of value. It proposes a business model change from “We sell time” to “We sell intellectual capital,” exploring the requirements, hurdles, challenges, and opportunities that enlightened firms transitioning to this new business model will face. Click here to learn more about Implementing Value Pricing in the CO-OP.

Ron has toured the world, spreading his Value Pricing message to over 90,000 professionals. He has been appointed to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant’s Group of One Hundred, a think tank of leaders to address the future of the profession, named on Accounting Today’s 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 Top 100 Most Influential People in the profession, and received the 2003 Award for Instructor Excellence from the California CPA Education Foundation.

He graduated in 1984 from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a minor in economics. He is a graduate of Disney University, Cato University, and the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business course: Pricing: Strategy and Tactics. He is a member of the Professional Pricing Society and presently resides in Petaluma, California.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Audio: What’s New – Construction Law with Chris Hill

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 24 May 2011 12:31:26 +0000

Christopher G. Hill is a construction lawyer in Virginia. He teaches about effective risk management, collection and contract drafting techniques for construction professionals, along with some practice-building advice, at Solo Practice University®.

Chris and I talked a couple of months ago about what is new in the construction law practice area so for those interested in this expanding practice area…turn up your speakers. We also had a great discussion on going solo because Chris went from a law firm environment to solo and has been out on his own for more than a year now. Join us!

The audio is about 36 minutes. Listen or download directly below.
What’s New – Construction Law with Chris Hill

Chris is a construction lawyer at the Law Office of Christopher G. Hill, PC, author of Construction Law Musings and a LEED AP, Chris has been nominated and elected by his peers to Virginia’s Legal Elite in Construction Law on multiple occasions. He has more than ten years of extensive counseling and litigation experience, both inside and outside of the courtroom, during time spent at Meyer, Goergen & Marrs, P.C. and the Virginia Office of the Attorney General. He has successfully resolved cases at all levels of both the state and federal courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Since 2002, Chris's practice has been devoted largely to representing contractors, subcontractors and material suppliers in all aspects of construction, including litigation. He has rendered assistance in all aspects of the industry including commercial/industrial, governmental and residential settings.

In particular, Chris has assisted his clients in,

the filing and enforcement of mechanics liens,
pursuing bond claims under the state and federal Miller Acts,
pursuing and defending against breach of contract lawsuits—both in judicial and administrative realms
compliance with administrative, safety and licensing regulations.

He also works extensively with contractors, engineers and architects in negotiating and drafting construction contracts and related documents.

As an active member of the Associated General Contractors of Virginia, Chris regularly presents to the AGC-VA membership on a variety of topics, ranging from occupational safety issues to changes in the law that affect the construction industry.

Chris also serves on the Associated General Contractors of America’s Contract Documents Committee where he has input into the content and structure of standard construction contracts that are widely used throughout the United States.

Chris’ experience in representing both private companies and one of the largest agencies of the Commonwealth of Virginia has given him knowledge of both the private and public aspects of legal representation. He has used this insight to give clients both practical and legally sound advice during their interactions with both private companies and state agencies.

In addition to his membership in the Virginia bar, Chris is admitted to practice before the U. S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U. S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Audio: What’s New – Child Custody with Katherine Frye

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 17 May 2011 11:30:41 +0000

Katherine Frye is a North Carolina attorney and board certified specialist in Family Law. She teaches a course called "Child Custody: Start to finish…is there an end?" at Solo Practice University®.

Katherine and I talked at length about the following:

Technology and Family Law

The impact of Facebook & other social media on the demise of marriage and the evidence lawyers' use.
How Email, webchatting, online gaming have allowed parents more ways to interact with their children
Online calendaring/our family wizard which allows parents to communicate without actually talking

Electronic eavesdropping and e-spying:

Federal and state laws govern what you can and cannot do
Lawyers have to know this so that neither client nor the lawyer violates the law
How do we find all of this stuff? (computers, cell phones, online information)

3rd party involvers:

parent coordinators
GALS
parent coaches

The interview is about 52 minutes. Listen or download directly below.
What’s New – Child Custody with Katherine Frye

Katherine received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduation, Katherine went directly to law school and graduated from The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. While in law school, Katherine participated in the National and Regional Advocacy Competitions and received the honor of the Order of Old Kivett for her superior performance.

After graduating from law school, Katherine immediately started a law firm with a fellow classmate. Two years later, Katherine started her own law firm, Frye Law Offices, P.A. Her practice specializes in all aspects of family law, including separation, divorce, child custody and visitation, child support, post separation support and alimony, and property distribution. Katherine is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Family Law. In addition, Katherine is a North Carolina Dispute Resolution Certified Family Financial Mediator. Her practice has been limited to family law for almost ten years.

During her career, Katherine has served as the State Chair of the Silent Partners Program, which is a division of the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association. More recently, Katherine served as the Wake County representative for the Silent Partners Program for over three years. Katherine has also participated in other projects such as "Lunch with a Lawyer," where she was paired with a teenage child to mentor, and Katherine and her former partner conducted seminars at Campbell Law School to advise other lawyers on starting their own law firm. Katherine is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education courses related to family law and at seminars geared to attorneys who have decided to start their own firm.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Audio: What’s New – Appellate Practice and Procedure with D. Todd Smith

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 03 May 2011 13:26:21 +0000

D. Todd Smith is a certified specialist in civil appellate law. He teaches a course about appellate practice and procedure at Solo Practice University®.

This interview is approximately 52 minutes. Listen or download directly below.
Appellate Practice and Procedure with D. Todd Smith

Todd and I enjoyed nearly an hour of discussion on what is new in appellate practice and procedure. This is what we talked about:

Appellate practice is not like document review; it’s mostly what Susskind calls “bespoke” work.

In today’s climate, more important than ever to set yourself apart:

How to get into appellate practice whether your a law student or a practicing attorney
Why blogging is a great opportunity to showcase by self-publishing.

Technology continues to advance in ways that level playing field for solo/small firm appellate practitioners:

E-filing—reduces steps necessary to file briefs – Big issue in Texas right now

Technology also raises new issues/creates new problems:

Is it OK to cite Wikipedia or other information outside the record in briefs?
More appellate judges reading briefs on screen. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Increasing awareness of importance of typography (Matthew Butterick).

…and much more like value-pricing not really taking hold in appellate practice!

Join us!

Todd opened his solo practice in 2006 after spending nearly a decade with the international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., where he was a member of the appellate and litigation practice groups. Before joining Fulbright, Todd served a two-year clerkship with Texas Supreme Court Justice Raul A. Gonzalez (ret.).

Todd represents plaintiffs and defendants in all phases of civil appeals and original proceedings, including preparation of written briefs and presentation of oral argument. He has handled matters before many of the Texas appellate courts, the Texas Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

A significant part of Todd's practice takes place at the trial-court level, where he serves as counsel of record in a variety of commercial and tort cases and as a consultant to other lawyers and their clients. When engaged in a litigation support role, he assists trial counsel with strategic analysis and briefing, jury charges, and potentially dispositive motions, all with a focus on preserving error and positioning cases for appellate review.

Todd is the creator and publisher of the Texas Appellate Law Blog, an online resource for trial lawyers, in-house counsel, solo and small firm practitioners, and others who may have matters pending before Texas appellate courts. He is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and currently serves as editor of the State Bar Appellate Section publication, The Appellate Advocate.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Audio: What’s New – Entertainment Law with Gordon Firemark

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:35:58 +0000

Gordon Firemark is an attorney whose practice is devoted to the representation of artists, writers, producers and directors in the fields of theater, film, television,and music. He teaches a course on how to create and build an entertainment law practice at Solo Practice University®.

The interview is about 55 minutes long. Listen or download directly below.
Entertainment Law with Gordon Firemark

If you're interested in entertainment law you're not going to want to miss this update on what's new in this exciting practice area.

Some areas we discussed:

File Sharing and Mass Litigation
Scope of Fair Use Defense
Fair Use, Parody, Satire
Statutory Damages in Copyright Law – are they constitutional?
Right of Publicity Cases – Celebrity name, likeness and voice used in entertainment content ads, and other materials
Media Law including indecency rulings, network neutrality
Privacy
Defamation – Truth isn't an absolute defense anymore…at least in Massachusetts
Anti-slap statutes
Social Media
DMCA takedowns….
…and so much more!

Gordon is also the publisher of Entertainment Law Update, a newsletter for artists and professionals in the entertainment industries. His practice, Law Offices of Gordon P. Firemark, covers intellectual property, cyberspace, new media and business/corporate matters for clients in the entertainment industry.

Mr. Firemark serves on the Boards of Governors of The Los Angeles Stage Alliance , (the organization responsible for the annual Ovation Awards for excellence in Theater) and The Academy for New Musical Theatre. He has also served as Chairman of the Beverly Hills Bar Association's Entertainment Law Section, and on that Bar Association's Board of Governors.

Mr. Firemark holds a B.A. in Radio, Television and Film from the University of Oregon, and earned his law degree at Southwestern University School of Law. After working in the legal and business affairs departments at Hanna Barbera Productions and the MGM/UA Worldwide Television Group , Mr. Firemark worked at a prominent Los Angeles based entertainment litigation firm, and then hung his solo shingle in 1993. In 1997 Mr. Firemark joined with two other lawyers to form The Business Affairs Group, a transactional entertainment law boutique. In 2002, the partners went their separate ways, with Mr. Firemark returning to the flexibility of solo practice.

Gordon is also an accomplished producer of stage plays and musicals and serves as CEO of Fierce Theatricals, Inc., which is currently producing several touring productions. He has been involved with the entertainment industry in one way or another since his youth as a sound, lighting, and special effects technician in the theatre. Prior to becoming an attorney, he worked in the television industry, producing and directing live sports telecasts, public affairs programming commercial announcements, documentaries, and industrial videos.

Mr. Firemark teaches Business Law at Loyola Marymount University, and has offered courses in Theater Law at Cypress College, and Entrepreneurial Studies at California Institute of the Arts. Mr. Firemark has served as a moderator and featured panelist at seminars sponsored by the Beverly Hills Bar Association, California Lawyers for the Arts, Theatre LA, and the Oregon Artist's Rights Coalition. He has also been a guest lecturer at Southwestern University School of Law, Loyola Law School, California Western School of law, UC Irvine, and California State University, Northridge.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

What’s New – Macs in the Law Office with Victor Medina

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:44:57 +0000

Victor Medina is the managing partner of a small law firm run entirely on Mac computers and Apple products. He teaches a course entitled "Macs In the Law Office" at Solo Practice University®.

The interview is about 49 minutes long. Listen or download directly below.
Macs in the Law Office with Victor Medina

Victor and I had a terrific conversation about Macs in the Law Office (I'm slowly converting over to Macs – just one old gadget which is a hold out) and as we post this, he's rockin' it over at the ABA Tech Show in Chicago educating about what he loves best – Macs and technology. Listen and learn about 'what's new.'

Victor is the managing partner of a small law firm run entirely on Mac computers and Apple products. He focuses his practice on representing public school districts and families in crisis. He serves as general counsel for many families, handling the gamut of special education, estate planning and closely-held company matters. He also assists many young families with protecting their kids and their family's wealth.

Victor has professional training in psychology and law. He served as a full law clerk with The Hon. Alvin W. Thompson of the United States District Court in Hartford, CT. Prior to starting his own firm, he worked with two multi-national law firms in Boston and Princeton, handling business transactions.

A self-described technophile, Victor organizes an annual conference for Mac-using attorneys called MILOfest (a Macs in the Law Office festival), which is typically held in November for Mac-using lawyers and other folks interested in the business application of Macs and Apple products.

Victor main business blog is at New Jersey Estate Planning, and he co-hosts a podcast with fellow Solo Practice University® Faculty member Mark Merenda called SmartTalk at http://www.smartmarketingnow.com/smarttalk/.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Audio: Social Media & Networking For Businesses (Part 3)

Susan Cartier Liebel — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:30:25 +0000

Toby Bloomberg teaches about social media and networking for businesses at Solo Practice University® in a series of Guest Lectures. This lecture was recorded February, 2011.

You can listen to her previous guest lectures here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).

Toby Bloomberg is passionate about helping people (not companies) create initiatives that leverage the power of social media communications to build and nurture “digital corner grocery store relationships.” From 2004, when she chaired AMA’s first Hot Topic on social media/blogs, Toby has been speaking, teaching and consulting on the topic at conferences for organizations such as BlogHer, PRSA, BlogWorldExpo, M/A/R/C, Chick-Fil-A, CDC, Cox Communications, American Marketing Association and Purina .. and now Solo Practice University.

Her blog Diva Marketing was acknowledged by Forbes as one of the 20 Best Marketing and Social Media Blogs By Women and recently voted one of the 10 Best Social Media Blogs by the Social Media Examiner.

Toby is an acknowledged leader in the social media marketing industry and has been profiled in several books on the subject including Naked Conversations, Now Is Gone, Twitterville and The Digital Handshake. She has been quoted in BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, MSNBC, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Her media credits include articles about marketing and social media published in Marketing News, Portland Business Journal, Impact (India publication), L’actualite Alimentaire (Canada publication), WEMagazine, RevenueToday and Atlanta Business-to-Business. She has been quoted about social media marketing in various publications including INC magazine, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Entrepreneur.com, MSNBC and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

She serves on the boards of the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association, the social media communities Savvy Auntie, Field Trips With Sue and Divine Caroline; as well as the non-profit organization Children's Advocacy Centers of Georgia.

She was an adjunct professor at Goizueta School of Business at Emory University where she taught an innovative course on management consulting.. She holds a degree from Emerson College and has performed post-baccalaureate studies in marketing and management at Emory University.

She is a Yankee from Boston living in the South with her YouTube “rock star” Westie pup Max, who occasionally finds his way into Diva Marketing.

The audio is approximately 60 minutes. Listen directly below.

Toby & Susan discuss Social Media Today

[NOTE] You can listen to her previous guest lectures here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

What’s New – Personal Injury with James Reed

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:30:14 +0000

Jim teaches "Personal Injury 101: The Nuts and Bolts of Handling Accident Cases" at Solo Practice University® and he recently joined me for an hour long conversation about "What's New" in Personal Injury Law.

Jim and I had a very, very interesting discussion in areas beyond personal injury law which I think everyone should listen to. Check below for the talking points but first learn a little more about Jim!

Jim has practiced personal injury and malpractice law in the state and federal courts of both New York and Pennsylvania for more than twenty five years.

Jim is a member of the prestigious Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Forum membership is limited to trial lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional skill, experience and excellence in advocacy by achieving a trial verdict, award or settlement of Two Million Dollars or more. Jim has also been honored as a New York “Super Lawyer”. Lawyers are selected after a rigorous research process based on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Jim is admitted to practice in both New York and Pennsylvania where he regularly handles all types of injury cases, car & truck crash cases, construction cases, and medical negligence cases. Jim limits his practice to the representation of injured persons only and does not do any insurance defense work.

Jim is the Managing Partner of the Ziff Law Firm, Elmira, NY located in the scenic Finger Lakes area of Upstate NY. Jim publishes the New York Injury Law Blog

Jim is a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, the New York Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American Association for Justice. Jim has lectured frequently on law-related topics and has been published in the New York State Bar Journal, which is the largest and most prestigious legal publication in New York State. In 2008, Jim was selected to author a chapter in the New York State Bar Association treatise: Plaintiff's Personal Injury Actions in New York.

Jim is a lifelong resident of Elmira where he lives with his wife and three children. When he’s not working, Jim can often be found on his bicycle as he is an avid bicycle racer having competed in races all over the country including a 508 mile team race through Death Valley (The Furnace Creek 508) and a 540 mile race through the Cascade Mountains of Oregon (The Race Across Oregon).

In this teleseminar Jim and I discuss:

Facebook: The impact on trials, jurors, plaintiff and defendant research and how if you are not using social media in your preparation for trial you are quite possibly committing malpractice.
Tablets: The power of an iPad (or any tablet computer) is changing the face of trial preparation from research, to receiving and annotating .pdfs, to viewing photos and evidence,to trial presentation.
How to use SKYPE for interviews and depositions
Geny Y & Millenials – the challenges of employing them, representing them and presenting to them

This lecture is approximately 60 minutes long. Listen directly below.

Personal Injury Practice With Jim Reed

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel